Franco live in Singapore 2014

It was almost two years ago when Franco last visited Singapore for a gig and it was way different back then. The frontman had all the stage by himself armed with only his Harana acoustic, a smaller version than the usual. On March 9, 2014, Franco brought his whole cavalry to the St. James Power Station delivering rock goods to the pinoy fans in Singapore. The show was made possible by Marketing Mix Cottage, iConnectSG, SG Goons Tattoo, in support of Requiem Rising SG. Our photo group MASP was part of the media coverage which gave me an all access pass to all the corners of the venue. Our newly set-up musicians’ group Aftershock also took part in the event with some of our boys UlingGang and Four Days Ahead opening up for Franco.

HoA, UlingGang, and Four Days Ahead at Franco live in Singapore 2014

Before Franco stepped up the stage last March 9, 2014 at the St. James Power Station, the crowd got their inital dose of adrenaline rush by some of the rising pinoy bands in Singapore. Jam Review, Morning in June, HoA, UlingGang, and Four Days Ahead were the bands that took the honour of sharing the platform with one of the most popular post-grunge band in the Philippines.

A Date Night with Chicosci & the Sony RX100

The Nikon D700 has been with me for almost 3 years and has been very efficient in delivering the right goods in concert photography. It may sound too good to be true but it has never been that perfect for me. There were times where I have opted to leave the gear at home due to a tight baggage space and having a thought of hauling a gear heavier than what you are supposed to be bringing. I have been keeping an eye on the recent developments of ‘pocketable’ cameras & they have been evolving so quickly that I haven’t got the urge to dissect them one by one. I was only looking at a few traits such as good high ISO performance, a size that can fit into your pocket, & the option to control in full Manual. I have narrowed my options along the price range of the Nikon’s micro four thirds & the Fuji X20 but somehow, the Sony RX100 has caught my attention having a 1.0 type CMOS sensor similar to that of the Nikon’s J1/V1. As I went further & seeing the jpegs of the RX100, I was blown away with the camera’s capabilities. Unlike the micro four thirds, this tiny beast’s lens will retract into its body when turned off making it ‘pocketable’ with a variable zoom lens.

Queso live in Singapore 2013

Queso was used to be called Cheese the last time I saw them live at our school grounds more than a decade ago. I always took safe precautions whenever these guys hit the stage after almost getting pinned down in a riot which ensued during their performance at the UP fair way back during the late 90’s. From contagious grooves coupled with visceral riffs, the approach of Queso’s music to the audience delivers a backbone that can send someone drifting in frenzy. Queso never takes any performance calmly, and whenever they strike, they hit hard right through your senses.

Greyhoundz live in Singapore 2013

I had the opportunity to experience getting up-close with the Greyhoundz‘ gig way back when the band was starting to hit the scene during the late 90’s. They were playing regularly at our school and, yes, even at our dormitory, tearing stages & transforming kids into frantic cannibals. Back during the time when OPM rock was a genre defined by alternative & hard rock, it was culturally stunning when the Houndz ripped the scene with down-tuned riffs & hard-hitting growls into a rock society who had just awoken from a grunge facelift . The fresh approach was easily embraced by young metal heads yearning for more aggression in their record collection. The impact eventually trickled down to the fashion scene which had the teens back then hunt for oversized jeans to complement half of their exposed underpants. Oh yes, I was a victim as well.

Greyhoundz + Queso in Singapore 2013: Pre-event Coverage

After a 3-month stint from blogging, spending solitude with my first-born & cogitating whether I would be picking –up the camera again, I finally got hold of my fervour in shooting gigs when news arrived that two of the most ground-breaking bands from the Philippines are coming over to Singapore. It was during their recent acoustika series that Pinoytuner & Requiem Rising confirmed that Greyhoundz & the recently reunited Queso (formerly known as Cheese) are heading their way here on 28th of April 2013. Our group MASP was given the honours of covering their stay so we were given an all access pass, quite a blessing if you have been rubbing elbows with the right people.

Eve’s Faire featuring Kitchie Nadal in Singapore 2012

Kitchie Nadal graced one of the stages of St. James Powerstation at the Eve’s Faire last 25 November 2012 right after Barbie Almalbis energized the OPM-hungry crowd. The gig was organized by Requiem Rising & Pinoytuner, a part of the groups’ string of events which bring in Philippine artists to Pinoys living in Singapore. I’m a bit ashamed to admit that I never had the chance to catch Kitchie Nadal back home, neither would I expect to see her outside of my home country. That is why when you send in two of the most influential female artists from the Philippines to showcase their artistry in Singapore, the Eve’s Faire gig was a double whammy to the Filipino community.

Eve’s Faire featuring Barbie Almalbis in Singapore 2012

After the success of the Aquostika series with Franco & Johnoy, Requiem Rising & Pinoytuner moved on to bring their project to a bigger scale. Headlining two of the acclaimed female alternative artists from the Philippines, Eve’s Faire was one of the groups’ ambitious event which aimed to agitate the foundations of St. James Powerstation. The first set showcased the sweet & charming Barbie Almalbis, who was responsible for launching Hungry Young Poets and Barbie’s Cradle  into stardom.

AQUOSTIKA featuring Franco live in Singapore 2012

Franco was announced to be Requiem Rising & Pinoytuner‘s last leg of the Aquostika series for 2012. Held at a decked out joint along Bali Lane, Blu Jaz Cafe once again, swayed to the rhythms of OPM & acoustic renditions as one of the revered Philippine artist infused reggae-influenced OPM alternative music to pinoys living in Singapore. Our group MASP was tasked to cover the event and it was futile not to when the artist you are covering has revolutionized the verve of OPM. The show’s turn-out was more than what was expected as the two-night gig sold-out weeks before the event.

AQUOSTIKA featuring Johnoy Danao live in Singapore 2012

Johnoy was a close friend back in college when we used to stay in the same dormitory, even way back before his first band “Bridge” was formed. That was why when he announced that Requiem Rising SG was bringing him here in Singapore, prepping-up for his coverage was a no brainer. We offered our group MASP for a full coverage and the cool guys of Requiem Rising approved without hesitation. The gig’s turn-out went pretty well that Requiem had to book another show at a different venue, which eventually went sold-out as well.